Closure for fruit jars



Patented Mar. 22, 1932 YUNITED STATESv HENRY B. BURNS, F FOND ID'ULAC, WISCONSIN cLosUnE Fon FRUIT Lans Application filed March 21, 1929. Serial No. 348,892.

My invention is an improvement in fruit jars, and relates more especially tothe means for closing the mouth of the jar for the purpose of tightly sealing the contents thereof. The primary object of my invention is to provide a closure which may be used in connection with a conventional type of fruit jarv so that it can be readily applied to properly seal the contents and quickly removed to gainv access to the contents of the jar.

A further object of my invention is to pro-` vide a closure for jars or containers which is simple and cheap in construction, and in the, operation of which the cap or top will inti-v 15.mately engage the gasket to press the same tightly against the mouth of the jar,` the clamping device used for this purpose being easily manipulated and the topplate readily removed by pressure on the projecting portion of the gasket.

With these principal objects in view my invention consists in the combination with a jar or container having an external beadv 2r around the neck below the open end, of a disk 'J and interposed gasket fitting over the open end of the jar, and a spring metalrclip enY of the jar when pressure is applied atthe ceny gaging the bead on the neck'to press against the center of said sealing disk, all as hereinafter fully described and particularly set 1 forth in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the closure c constructed in accordance with my invention, showing the application of the same to an i ordinary typel of fruit jar.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the jar and closure.

3 is a plan view of the sealing disk.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the closure in use` and Fig. 5 isa detail perspective viewofthej spring metal clip.

My invention 1s adapted for use in connection with any of the general type of jars such as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which the neck 10 is provided with an annular bead 11 having oppositely inclined edges and extending around the neck a short distance from the open end or mouth, in some instances the jar being provided with an eX- vother rust or acid-proof metal, being Vonly ternal thread 12 though the latter is not essential in the application of myclosure.

In carrying out my invention I employ a rubber gasket or flat ring 13 adapted to fit, upon kthefmouth of the jar and of sufficient size or external diameter to project to an appreciableextent beyond the neck of the j ar for the purpose hereinafter explained, and for closing the mouth of the jar I employ a Vmetal 'disk 14 bearing vat its outer edge upon 60,

the gasket or rubber ring, v saidl disk being preferably of a diameter corresponding with that of the mouth of the jar. The metal disk or closing cap isprovided centrally with arde-v pression 15, and for the purpose of strengthening the same when a thin disk of metal is used it is provided with concentric corrugations 16 extending from the flat central portion 17 in which the aforementioned depression is formed to the fiat rim which bears upon the rubber ring or gasket 13. In order thatthis disk may not beaifected by the contents of the4 jar it is made of bright tin or slightly resilient so that it'will firmly clamp 75 the rubber ring or gasket against the mouth ter thereof.

For clamping the metal disk and rubber ring on the mouth of the jar I employ a spring metal clamp 19, formed from a strip of spring-steel bent .gradually at opposite sides of the center to providerengaging members 20-2 the outer ends of which are formedv into hooks `21 with the end 22 of each hook 85 turned abruptly outward to cooperate with the shoulder of the jar in releasing the clamp, and so that said clamp will have the required bearing on the metal disk or top the center portion thereof is bowed downwardly and provided with a stud 23 struck from the metal as shown in the drawings. In applying the clamp the opposite membersl thereof are sprung into engagement with the annular bead 11 on the neck of the jar so that the stud at the center of the body portion thereof will engage the depression 15 at the center of the top or disk 14. it being understood that mately the full diameter of the rubber ring or gasket so as to straddle the same when the hooks engage the bead, and that the length of said engaging members are such that when the clamp is sprung into place the bowed central portion thereof will exert the required pressure on the top of the closure. It will also be noted that the outturned ends of the hooks which engage the bead on the neck of the jar are slightly above the shoulder of the jar so that the flat end of a suitable tool or nger nail may be slipped under the same in releasing the clamp, the shoulder` of the jar forming a bearing for the tool or .finger in this operation.

In applying the closure the rubber ring is laid on the mouth or upper edge of the jar, the metal disk is then placed on top of the ring and the clamp pressed down over the neck of the jar until the hooks atthe ends of the side members thereof spring into engagement with the bead, the stud at the center of the clamp entering the depression in the top to provide the required pressure. In removing the closure the clamp is first removed by disengaging the hooks thereof which engage the bead. and of course this operation may be effected by disengaging either one of said hooks. After the clamp is removed the seal may be broken by upward pressure on the projecting portion of the gasket without re-A sorting to the usual method of forcing a knife blade under the gasket which usuallv results in destroying the edge of the mouth of the j ar. Should it be impossible to break the seal by upward pressure on the gasket the projecting portion of' the latter may be gripped for pulling it out from under the topor disk.

From the foregoing description ot the construction and operation of mv vclosure for jars and other containers it will be obvious that I provide a simple and effective means whereby the jar can be conveniently sealed and the seal easily broken when access to the jar is desired, and though I have described the preferred embodiment of the invention it will be understood that the parts may be modified or changed within the spirit and scope of the claim.

I claim In combination with a jar or container having a plain upper edge at the mouth and a bead around the neck below said mouth. of a closure therefor comprising a gasket fitting upon the mouth of' the j ar and of such width as to project beyond opposite sides of the same so that the edge of the mouth of the jar will be embedded therein and to provide an outwardly projecting annular gripping portion for loosening the gasket in opening the jar, a metal disk having an annular fiat portion or rim resting on the gasket above the mouth of the jar and terminating within the outer edge of said gasket, said disk having a depression at the center and concentric corruga- 

